Dandelions
by InuChanFan
Summary: Quick dabble about life after the war- Peeta and Katniss finally have their moments together that were only briefly talked about at the end of book three. Small lemon.


**I wanted to write a quick story about Peeta and Katniss after the war. These moments are briefly mentioned in the books, but I really wanted to expand on it. I hope you like it. As always, all intellectual property belongs to the original author, Suzanne Collins. **

Greasy Sae just left after she finished washing the dishes from that night's dinner, and the two of them remained sitting at the kitchen table.

"What are you going to do tomorrow? Hunt?" he asked.

"I think Greasy Sae has enough game to last her through the rest of the week."

"True. You have been bringing a lot back from the woods lately."

She did not respond. It was true. The animals seemed to have forgotten that there was ever such a thing as hunters. They were more audacious than before; some were almost too easy to kill. Katniss wished it was more of a challenge, more of a distraction, but Sae had not complained one bit about her fully stocked freezer.

Silence surrounded the young couple one again. It was almost as if they'd started a new game of cat and mouse now that the dangerous ones the Capitol played have all ended. Peeta knew so little of the forest, so there was nothing more he could add to extend the conversation. The gears in his head turned, as he decided his next move.

"You still haven't told me what you'd like on your cake," he said.

"I don't want a cake, Peeta."

"Tomorrow is your birthday, real or not real?"

"Real," she said reluctantly.

"Then, you're getting a cake," he said in a very matter of fact way. She wanted to push the issue, but figured there was no point getting into an argument with him so late in the day. And what an exhausting day it had been too.

She woke up before dawn and spent the entire day hunting. There were plenty of animals scurrying around, practically begging for her mercy. She didn't return until dinnertime, her bag stuffed to the brim.

"Now answer the question," he demanded.

"I don't care. You pick something."

"Okay."

"What about a party?"

"No parties," she said sternly.

This time Peeta was the one who wanted to argue, but he refrained. It was very important to him that he stayed in her good graces after the way he behaved in the after being hijacked. He didn't want to push her away like that again. They had something undefinable that he didn't want to lose.

Silence again. Katniss stood, walked into the living room, and switched on the TV. They sat and watched Plutarch's singing show, which greatly eased their awkwardness. Katniss was glad she turned down Plutarch's offer to be a contestant on the show. The judges were intensely hard on the singers, even over things that were out of their control. One judge yelled at a contestant for wearing shoes and top that clashed in color, even though the singer's stylist was the one to blame. It was horrible to watch.

When it was over, they watched the evening news, a comedy program, and a sitcom. Before they knew it, the sky was dark and they were both yawning from fatigue uncontrollably.

"Alright, it's time for bed," he said as he stood. He helped her to her feet before he followed her up the stairs. Peeta began living at Katniss's house about a week after coming home. He only returned to his house to get things he'd stored there, like clothes and painting supplies.

They entered the master bedroom at the top of the stairs. Katniss had taken over when she'd finally made it off the couch. At first, sleeping in this room made her feel safe, surrounded by the presence of her mother and sister. But then she began to stay for other reasons.

She could not sleep in her old room because it reminded her too much of President Snow and her most recent time in the Capitol. This bed was more comfortable than the one in her old room in any case, and she liked that she bathroom was connected to the bedroom. It created a sense of privacy she had lost over the last two years.

Peeta walked over to the dresser and selected a nightgown for her, as was his habit. He took it to her; their fingers brushed slightly during the exchange. Her eyes met his, and before there was a second to think, she leaned up to kiss him.

They were no longer pressured to kiss because of their circumstances, but still they did. Peeta enjoyed it; Katniss was still trying to figure out what it meant. In the beginning, she rationalized that it would help him feel more comfortable about his identity. A few days ago, Peeta mentioned that he now had a fairly strong grasp on what was real, but she found she didn't want to stop kissing him. She enjoyed it too much, however confusing it was.

He smiled at her when the kiss broke apart, and she walked into the bathroom to change. When she returned, she climbed in beside him, kissed him once more and said goodnight. She began to move to her designated side of the bed when he pulled her to his chest, securing her in his arms. There was no escaping him, and she was glad of it.

The next morning, she rose before the sun. This would normally be the time of day that she would go out into the woods, but she didn't feel like hunting. She didn't feel like doing anything, truthfully, other than staying in bed. It didn't matter that she was turning eighteen, officially becoming a woman, an adult in the eyes of the law. This was her first birthday without her mother or her sister. It was not a happy day.

Unfortunately, the day did not stop for her. Peeta rose in a few hours and went down to kitchen. Then she heard Greasy Sae come in and cook breakfast. When Katniss refused to get up, Sae's granddaughter burst into the room. She jumped onto the bed and begged her to come down. Katniss could never deny a child anything, so she did as asked.

After eating, Peeta went to his house to collect some things, and Sae began to clean the kitchen. Sae mentioned off-handedly that she needed some herbs for dinner, and convinced Katniss to go out. A few minutes later, she was dressed and headed out the door.

The woods teemed this morning with more life than she felt necessary on such a sad day. Part of her regretted having such successful hunting days this week. She had to remind herself that focus was to collect herbs today, not hunting.

Katniss spent the better part of the morning collecting the plants Sae requested, and a few others she knew they would need soon. Around lunch, she decided to make a quick meal of a squirrel who stupidly kept coming into range, her need to hunt satisfied for now.

As the afternoon rose, Katniss found herself walking to the lake. All her recent encounters at this place, no matter how bad, could keep her from returning. It was no longer her private place, but it was still special. In the month she'd allowed herself to venture back into the woods, she found it was the best place to think, especially when the topic she needed to consider was Peeta as it was today.

Katniss lounged by the side of the lake, baking in the sun thinking of him. _What was that move he pulled last night? I know he said he feels more stable about his memories, but how can I be sure without pressuring him into a breakdown? I hope he hasn't gone on a rampage while I'm away. If he destroys my house, he'll be in big trouble. He'll be in even more trouble if I come home to a house full of people._

Late afternoon came too quickly. She had to force herself to return to the Victor's Village. No doubt there would be some birthday celebration planned, however unwanted.

She returned to the house just as Sae began pulling out pots to cook dinner. Peeta shuffled around the kitchen with her, slicing some fresh-baked bread. Katniss was pleased to find that the house only contained the three of them and Sae's granddaughter. "No party?" she asked wryly.

"You said you wouldn't want one," Peeta responded.

"Thank you," she mouthed with a smile.

"You missed a few phone calls while you were out," he said.

"Anything good?"

"Dr. Aurelius wants me to remind you to stop missing your scheduled appointments," he said.

"Of course he would. Anything else?"

"Your mother called to say happy birthday. She's working the night shift today, so she said if you weren't home before three it would be better to call her back tomorrow morning around seven."

"Oh." _Damn. _She hadn't had many chances to talk to her mother lately. She worked so hard at the new hospital, and her shift kept changing. It was difficult to keep track of when it was all right to call. Katniss hated the idea of distracting her during an important procedures and causing some patient to lose an eye. She would not be responsible for that.

"Also," Peeta said, snapping her back to reality. "Plutarch wants to do a phone interview for this evening's news since it's your birthday."

"No." She didn't want anybody who manipulated her over the last twenty-four months to have any say with what she did on her birthday. It was one of the reasons she turned down the party idea. Every time she has a party, there are party games, and all those party games end with her feeling like a fool. She just wanted the day to go forward unrecognized, just like a normal day, only with cake. Is that so much to ask?

"It's a good opportunity to let people know how things are going in 12," he said, "There are a lot of people who haven't seen home for months."

"Yea, but Plutarch is only going to ask questions about us, and I don't want to talk about that. I thought we were going to have some privacy now."

"We do have more privacy. Didn't you notice how we didn't have a TV crew follow us around all day?"

Honestly, she hadn't even thought about it. TV crews hadn't followed her around on her last birthday, but they were around on pretty much every other big day of her life since then. It's amazing that she missed this fact.

"I'm not good at interviews," she said trying to come up with another reason to dissuade him.

"You're better than you think, or else the rebels from 13 wouldn't have been able to make so many promos. And I'll be there with you, if you need me," he said.

There wasn't a second more to argue before the phone rang. Katniss answered, knowing it would be Plutarch. His sense of timing was impeccable, as always.

"Katniss? How are you?" Plutarch asked.

"Hello, I'm fine thanks. How are you?" Katniss put the phone on speaker so Peeta could fulfill his promise to help if necessary.

"Very, well thank you. I heard today was your eighteenth birthday? How has your day been so far?"

"It's been a very enjoyable birthday. I spent all day around District 12. It's looking much better; you really should see it. The town is coming back together, and it's looking livelier by the day."

"That sounds lovely."

"The streets have been cleaned, and there's been talk of rebuilding some homes soon." She continued. She went on for a few more minutes, almost rambling before Plutarch chimed in again.

"Did you receive anything memorable for your birthday?"

"No, not yet," she said.

"We're exchanging gifts after dinner," Peeta added.

"Oh, hello Peeta," Plutarch chimed. "I'm sure you have something very special planned. Would you give us any hints?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. Katniss is way too good at figuring out my hints. I don't want to ruin the surprise for her."

"Very well. So, how are things going with you two?" Plutarch asked.

Katniss gave Peeta a dirty look. Her face practically read, _I told you so._ Peeta ignored her and continued on with his steady

"Things are going quite well. We've settled back into District 12 very nicely."

"Do you have any plans for the future," Plutarch asked, obviously tip-toing around his true question.

"Nothing specific. Right now, we're just focusing on rebuilding District 12. Hopefully our friends and family can return soon."

"Are you and Katniss thinking of tying the knot for real now that you're both of age?" he asked, no longer seeing the point in being vague.

Peeta looked at Katniss. This wasn't something that either of them had discussed. They had barely discussed their feelings for each other; and when they had, he finally learned that she genuinely liked him and wanted him in her life. They didn't need to take any big steps right now. Yet here they were, already being pushed together by the expectations of people who barely knew them.

"I don't want to give anything away, but it's certainly not impossible," Peeta said. It was ambiguous but still delivered a sense of hope to those who were listening.

"Dinner is ready," Sae announced behind them, just loud enough to be hears over the phone.

"It looks like our time is up," Peeta said.

"Well, the two of you have a very good evening. Happy birthday, Katniss."

"Thank you," she said before quickly hanging up the phone. When the line was officially disconnected, they each exhaled deeply before walking to the dining room.

"See, that wasn't so bad," Peeta said as he followed her to the table.

"I still don't like doing interviews."

"Nobody does. It's all a game to get the right information out in the open so the crowd stays happy."

After dinner, Greasy Sae cleaned and went home with her granddaughter, leaving the two victors alone once again. Without a word, Peeta went to the fridge and pulled out a small cake decorated with little yellow flowers. Katniss would normally avoid something so feminine, but these were special flowers.

"Dandelions?" she asked.

He nodded in return. "They're your favorite… at least I think they are…"

"They are," she blushed.

It was the flawless. Not only was it her favorite flower, but it was also her symbol of life and hope. The entire situation made more perfect because he was the one who made it, the boy with the golden hair, her dandelion, her hope. She had never told anyone the full meaning the little plants held for her; still it was as if he knew.

"It's perfect. Thank you," she said as she leaned in to kiss him. It was the only thing she could do to express her gratitude.

The kiss was intended to be short, but she felt that quake in her stomach she did not fully understand, and she didn't want to stop.

This quake made her happy, nervous, fulfilled, exposed, and excited even. These were just some of the many emotions she had buried over the years that only he could bring out. There was one more emotion, one that she was only beginning to understand, one that only he could trigger.

She broke the kiss abruptly to look up into his eyes. What she saw, she could not fully describe. Wonder, frustration, excitement, and hunger. It only took another moment for him to show her these emotions as he reached up for her and grabbed her head in his hands to prevent her from backing away any further.

There was no running from this. No hiding from him. No getting out of what she started. Though this was much more personal than being forced to sleep in his arms like she was last night, she found there was no need to run.

She kissed him harder this time, and threw her arms around him as well. They pulled to each other like magnets, unable to fight the force between them.

The quake urged her to deepen the kiss, so she did. He returned with an unprecedented fervor. She opened her mouth for a moment to catch her breath, and he took advantage and slipped his tongue inside. This was new. In all their thousands of kisses, this was the first time he had given so much of himself to her.

She did not know how to react at first. It was strangely hot and wet, but thrilling. She soon returned, touching her tongue to his. She could not get enough of this sensation. She pushed into him further, used her hands and arms to pull him closer as he did the same. They were so lost in one another that they completely missed the front door open and close.

"Ahmmm," they heard, breaking the moment. Embarrassed and flustered, she practically jumped away from Peeta. Haymitch had seen them kiss hundreds of times, but he had never walked in on them like this. It was too much for her right now, too personal even for the man who's been playing with her life for the last two years.

Peeta wasn't pleased by her reaction, but he understood it. Kissing so passionately made her feel exposed and open; it was a big step. He knew she was barely ready to be so open in private, with him. There was no chance she was ready to be so open in front of anyone else, even their mentor. He only hoped he wouldn't have to wait another month before getting to kiss her like that again.

"I heard there's cake," Haymitch stated, saying nothing about the moment he interrupted.

"I'll get you a plate," Katniss said. She quickly fled to the kitchen, and sliced the first piece. She felt a little sad destroying something so beautiful, but if Haymitch's mouth was full with cake, he couldn't make comments about what just happened. She also cut pieces for Peeta and herself as well.

They made polite conversation about how the town was slowly being cleaned, about how the meadow was finally filled in and returned to a flat surface, and about her phone interview with Plutarch. Haymitch missed the broadcast, but he said he was glad it sounded as though things went smoothly. When they each finished their slices, Haymitch said, "I have a gift for you, birthday girl." He pulled out a half-empty liquor bottle from his jacket.

"Thanks." Even though she knew she would never take a sip of the glossy liquid, she accepted the gift. For someone who was always so good at getting the right gift from sponsors, he really had no clue as to what to get a young girl for her eighteenth birthday. That much was clear.

Still, she knew Haymitch was making a big sacrifice handing over something so special to him, especially since she wasn't sure how he was going to support his drinking habit with so few supply-trains coming to town. Maybe he had a huge cache hidden away in his house that he'd stolen from the Capitol during the war, but she doubted that. It seemed much more probable that one day soon she would present it to him as a gift too.

"I also have something for you," Peeta said. He got up from his chair and walked to the hall closet. He collected a large flat square covered in a bed sheet, a painting.

"I hope you like this one better than the ones I made of the Games," he murmured.

Before she had a chance to say something comforting, he pulled the sheet off, revealing a beautiful image of the woods. Her woods. Her mouth gaped open, unable to formulate words. Twice in the same day he'd made her forget everything else around.

At the sight of the gift, Haymitch announced. "Well, I'd better be going. Happy birthday, sweetheart."

"Goodnight Haymitch," she responded in a confused tone. He was practically running away as if he were afraid of the painting. Or maybe it was more than that. Perhaps Peeta and Haymitch had some secret code between them. When the painting comes out, leave. But Katniss knew it was more likely that Haymitch was uncomfortable after walking in on them, something which was made worse by this very personal gift. Plus, Haymitch was never good at sitting through anything uncomfortable without a drink, and he had just given Katniss his bottle.

When they were alone again, Katniss walked over to inspect the painting closer. Peeta stood behind it, resting his elbows on the top edge of the canvas. Greens and browns collided in a marriage of colors only he could produce. The sky above was the purest blue, and the ground showed lush, green grass speckled with little yellow dots. More dandelions.

"It's beautiful."

"I made this for you before we went into the Quell. I wanted to apologize for the way I behaved after the Victory Tour. I was so stupid."

It was true. He did act childish, yet she and Gale also contributed. They demanded her sole attention, and she led them on for months, kissed both of them during that time, never giving any indication about whom she preferred. Thinking of it made her feel low. But you know what they say: Captain Hindsight has perfect vision.

"Where would you like to put it?" he asked.

The painting needed to be somewhere private. It was one of his special gifts to her, and she wanted to safeguard it at all times. Since it was nearly five feet tall, it would be more difficult to protect than the pearl or the locket.

To make matters more complicated, she had grown completely attached in the last few moments. She could already tell that seeing it in the rain and in the winter would bring her relief when she would be unable to go out into her own woods. She knew that when she was sad, frustrated, or mad as hell, it would provide her with comfort. She wanted to see it every day when she woke up and before she went to bed.

_Somewhere private where I can see it every day_… she thought. Only one place came to mind.

She turned for the stairs, and he followed carrying the painting. They entered their bedroom. On the wall across from the dresser was a photo of some random city block in the Capitol that came with the house. It was never her taste.

"There," she said, pointing to it.

Peeta took down the photo and replaced it with the painting as Katniss watched. He stepped back and stood beside her so they could both admire the gift from afar. It just barely fit just so in the space without being too large; and the colors worked well with the bedding and furniture already in place.

"Perfect," she said.

"Just like you,"he whispered back.

She stood inelegantly, unsure of how to respond. There were few instances she remembered where he was so forward with his feelings. His interviews with Caesar quickly came to mind. Perhaps he really was getting comfortable with himself, his memories, again.

Peeta could plainly see that she was struggling with her next move, so he decided to make it for her, relinquishing her of the burden of responding. His mouth found for hers again, kissing her with the same passion that Haymitch had destroyed a half hour ago.

The quake that had settled in her stomach returned with greater force, and she applied all of it to kissing Peeta. Their hands were in each other's hair, franticly reaching for something solid of the other person to cling to.

She needed to feel him. She needed to feel his skin against hers. Her hands moved from his hair to his face, to his neck, to the parks of his back that could be reached through the top of his shirt. Yet soon it was not enough. She found the hem of his shirt and tugged it off quickly before returning her hands and lips to his skin. He did the same.

Under her fingertips, she began to feel bumps raised by his scar tissue. Instantly she stopped and stepped back to look at his scars. Over the weeks, she had become accustomed to seeing the one across his forehead, and the ones on his hands and arms. This was the first time she had seen the full extent of the damage though. He was always so careful to undress in private these days.

The flames had scorched the majority of his stomach, shoulders and back. There was little left of his original skin. It was much worse than she imagined.

"This is because of me," she whispered gently touching his chest as if his scars still burned.

"No. This is because of the war. I would have done the same for anyone."

Katniss didn't doubt him. His selfless protection of others was one of the many things that she admired about him. "But you did it for me," she protested.

"And I would do it again a thousand times if it meant I could be with here you right now, like this. I love you, Katniss Everdeen, don't' you see that?"

Her heart liquefied. Peeta and his damn words. She did see that. She had seen that for a while, longer than she cared to admit. The only reason she did not act was that she was concerned that it could work, that they could work, especially considering how damaged they both were after all the trials they'd endured.

She pulled him back towards her and gave him the most heartfelt kiss she could muster, which he returned. They melted into each other, more loving than heated now. Slowly, they undid one another until there was no clothing left to interfere.

As they kissed, his hands lowered to her behind, something she never anticipated liking so much. All things with him were different. Her feet came off the floor to wrap around his waist shortly before being lowered to the bed.

Kisses spread over lips, cheeks, necks and down onto chests. The heat began to build. There was no chance to breathe, no chance to think of anything but this moment, this feeling, this need.

"You have no idea the effect you have on me," he groaned. But she knew; she could feel it pushing into her hip as he covered her. Having this part of him so close made her devilishly curious. She wanted so badly to touch him there, to explore his body more thoroughly.

He grabbed her hand and led it down to him, almost as if reading her mind. The feel was unlike anything she could have imagined. It was strong and warm with just the right about of give.

His breathing grew harsh and uneven as her hands dancing around him. She released him slightly out of fear that she was hurting him, only to be scolded, "Don't stop, Katniss."

"I don't want to hurt you," she said back.

Katniss truly had never been in this type of embrace before. Though always good with words, Peeta knew this feeling wasn't something he could explain; he needed to show her. His weight shifted onto one side as he moved his hand to her sex. Katniss gasped at the pressure. The quake inside her erupted.

"This is what you make me feel," he said intensifying the weight in his hand. "It doesn't hurt, Katniss."

"Oh," was all she managed. It was incredible. She never knew being with him could feel like this. It was ten times better than the rumble she started feeling in the cave, even better than winning the war or the Hunger Games. No wonder he didn't want to stop. Neither did she.

Katniss increased the pressure in her hands as his lips slowly moved down her neck to her chest. She soon found she loved the way the right stroke could make him gasp for air. His hand came up from her nether regions and landed on her chest. She groaned in disapproval, but she stopped when his mouth found her nipple. It was shocking and exhilarating. She never imagined anything like this could make her feel this way.

He sucked and rolled her hardened tip between her teeth, making her moan. She liked this as much as she liked his hand between her legs. Peeta moved back and forth between her breasts, savoring each of them. She had just enough strength to have her lips find their way to his ear, pulling him off her chest up to her lips once more.

Once she had his attention, her hands intensified on him, this time focusing on the tip. She then began lifting her hips up to him, urging him to return his hand to its previous location. He did, but this time did more than just place his hand on her. He pushed his fingers into her, slowly caressing parts of her she never knew existed. She felt so complete, but at the same time, she needed him that much more. It was torturous. She wanted more. She needed more. She needed to make him need more too.

Katniss added even more pressure to her hands. Soon it was too much for him. "Please, Katniss," he begged. She nodded. She knew what he wanted, and she wanted it too. Despite her inexperience, she needed him, all of him.

He quickly positioned himself at her center and entered. It was difficult being stretched and pulled in so many directions. She felt a quick pang, but it was nothing compared so the physical traumas she'd been through lately. The pain soon subsided as he moved within her.

They were clumsy at first, both of them new to this movement. But once they found their momentum, they could not be stopped. It felt too good, too perfect. They pushed and pulled each other feeling that growing sensation that could only mean one thing. Before they could register what happened, they both came, exploding onto the other.

They collapsed, completely spent and reveling in the aftermath. He wordlessly pulled out and positioned her that she could lay on his chest. When they finally fell caught their breath, he turned to her and asked, "You love me, real or not?"

"Real. Very real."

"Then stay with me," he said quietly. Normally she would be the one to say those words, but they felt just as natural coming from him.

"Always," she returned. He kissed her one more time, then took a deep breath into her hair, and they both fell to sleep.

**I hope you liked it!**


End file.
